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32 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Lake Travis/Westlake Edition
REGIONAL —Abridged stories from our other editions
Top stories
Study: residential growth surges on
S. I-35 corridor, stalls on Hwy. 290, 71
Southwest Austin While the
south I-35 corridor experienced
the largest surge in residential
construction in Austin throughout
2010, neighborhood development
surrounding Hwy. 290
and Hwy. 71 stalled, according
to a 2010 city planning and
development department study
outlining changes in residential
and non-residential growth.
These differences in growth
between the two areas are
because of variances in land use
restrictions, access to goods and
density concerns.
The largest increases in
development continue to center
on the southwest portion along
I-35 in ZIP code 78748, according
to the Austin Growth Watch
Report produced by the city’s
Planning and Development
Review Department.
The vast majority of growth is
due to the sprawling shopping
center Southpark Meadows,
located at 9500 S. I-35 near
Slaughter Lane. Plans to add a
Sam’s Club store have allowed
the shopping center to grow to
nearly 1.6 million square feet
of retail space. The shopping
center is the largest in Central
Texas, according to its owner,
Endeavor Real Estate Group.
The land within 78748 is a
part of what is considered the
desired development zone, said
Duane Hutson, the principal
at Hutson Land Planners and
Development Consultants. That
means it is an area of the city
that is less restricted than others
based on watershed regulations.
Hutson and his team work
with potential developments in
the city, primarily Southwest
Legislators target Austin Energy’s
grasp on supplying power to the city
Residential
electricity bill
price trends
2,000 kWh usage
Monthly bill
Monthly bill
$ 300
$ 250
$ 200
$ 150
500 kWh usage
$ 100
$ 50
$ 0
2007
Central Austin Austin
Energy’s service area may soon
be open to competing utilities
if Senate Bill 940 is passed, but
opponents say electric rates
would only increase, even under
an open market.
The bill comes about a year
before a proposed 10 percent to
12 percent rate increase by Austin
Energy, which is expected by
early 2012.
Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita
Compared to Houston and San Marcos, Austin Energy
customers pay middle-of-the-road utility rates, which soon
may change after deregulation and/or a rate increase.
Centerpoint-Houston Austin Energy San Marcos
2008 2009 2010
Source: Public Utility Commission of Texas
Falls, authored the bill requiring
any electric utility with 3 million
square feet of state-owned office
space within its service area to
have customer choice.
Estes said although Austin
Energy has provided the state with
a good rate, he wants this to continue.
He said his primary concern
when drafting the bill was for
the state and state employees.
Full story by Bobby Longoria at
more.impactnews.com/12266
Bobby Longoria
Austin, to help developers
determine what makes sense for
a property in terms of density,
desired zoning changes and
regulations, and variances to
the land.
Developers along the south
I-35 corridor have been able
to establish a larger amount of
Joe Olivieri
Residential growth has increased in ZIP code 78748 due to expanding developments.
Sunset Valley City Council OK’s new
master plan for development
Southwest Austin Sunset
Valley has updated its vision for
the city’s future.
On April 5, the Sunset Valley
City Council approved a new
comprehensive master plan—
a set of guidelines for future
growth that addresses the
breadth of various areas of city
life, including housing, schools,
transportation and resources.
One element of the plan, the
future land-use map, categorizes
every property in the city
to influence future zoning.
These categories may not match
current land use, but reflect
a parcel’s eventual use based
density because of allowable
land cover regulations, which
are less stringent than the parcels
of land farther west on the
Edwards Aquifer recharge zone,
Hutson said.
Full story by Joseph Olivieri at
more.impactnews.com/12357
The Brodie Homestead parcel—currently for sale—is classified as highway commercial
in the new master plan. It was neighborhood commercial in the previous plan.
on location and neighboring
properties, City Manager Clay
Collins said.
The plan’s biggest changes
are updates since the 1995
plan, increases in space
reserved for conservation and
making recommendations for
nearby areas under Sunset Valley
control, called the extraterritorial
jurisdiction.
Officials spent almost two
years creating the document
and received public feedback
through meetings and community
surveys.
Full story by Joseph Olivieri at
more.impactnews.com/12356
Impacts
Now Open
Central Austin Whole
Foods Market, 525 N. Lamar
Blvd. downtown Austin,
opened Bar Lamar in March
to provide local beer and wine
to patrons. The bar features
about 20 seats and offers beer
and wine by the glass with
prices ranging from $4 to $10.
Bar Lamar is one of more than
a dozen in-store bars opened
by Whole Foods in select
stores throughout the country.
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Northwest Austin Austin
residents Scott Frowiss and
Artie Chavez opened My Pit
Crew recently. The business
will pick up customers’ cars
at their homes or offices and
drive them to a service station
to get an oil change, car
wash, air filter replacement
and other services. The business
serves people in Cedar
Park, Leander, Round Rock,
Pflugerville and North Austin.
www.mypitcrew.com,
782-2305
In the News
Southwest Austin Game
Over Videogames Inc., a classic
video game retail chain,
will become Game Over
Entertainment Inc. following
a $100 million investment
from Atari founder Nolan
Bushnell. Bushnell said the
new company will open food
and gaming facilities similar
to Dave & Buster’s and Chuck
E. Cheese’s. All four existing
retail locations—including its
5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 210,
storefront—will remain the
same. 891-6837,
www.gameovervideogames.
com
Northwest Austin Concordia
University Texas, 11400
Concordia University Drive,
dedicated its new baseball
stadium April 12. The
$3.1 million stadium seats
1,200, and Concordia received
a $2.25 million anonymous
donation and $300,000 from
former Concordia baseball
player Scott Linebrink, who
is a pitcher for the Atlanta
Braves, to complete the stadium.
www.concordia.edu